


Chloe: taking a bullet

by SA_AO3



Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Chloe decker - Freeform, Lucifer Morningstar - Freeform, Other, Post-Lucifer (TV) Season/Series 04, Protective Mazikeen (Lucifer TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 11:02:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20563214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SA_AO3/pseuds/SA_AO3
Summary: Post-Season 4. If Chloe makes Lucifer vulnerable, how does Lucifer affect her?





	Chloe: taking a bullet

**Author's Note:**

> Intrigued by Lucifer the TV series. Love the fandom. First time writing fanfic. Be kind :) TQ

Chloe looks in the mirror. Clothes weren’t her thing, but she liked cut-out sleeveless tops that showed off her shoulders. She touched the scar from Jimmy shooting her – it was her badge of honour solving the Delilah case, working with Lucifer for the first time.

Lucifer. She smiled, as she remembered that first meeting. That mix of child-like innocence and worldly weariness. What a strange, no, not really “strange”, maybe an interesting encounter? Was that the right word? She couldn’t quite work out the exact feeling.

Well, and here we are, 6 years 2 months and five days later. Her life turned upside down, everything she knew – or thought she knew – was wrong. She’d resisted facing the truth, always demanding evidence and proof. Well! Now she had both, she could just give in to feelings. And so she went, down, down, into the unseen.

Ever since Lucifer returned to hell, they obviously couldn’t work on cases anymore. He wasn’t there at crime scenes making snarky remarks. He wasn’t there gossiping with Ella about the latest method actors’ burnout. But she could talk to him anytime she liked. She just closed her eyes, whispered his name and there he was. Looking at her with gentleness and love. Leaving behind his hideous post, even if only for a few minutes.

After that warm, desperate embrace, he’d wrap her up in his wings, transporting them both to another world. She’d tell him about her day, he’d make a few quips. More often than not, he’d give a new perspective on a case and she’d go on to solve it.

Come to think of it, it wasn’t that different from when he was on earth. He came and went as he pleased. He never did any paperwork. He was just there. And when he wasn’t, she missed him.

She would have just floated through life, half-in and half-out of reality, thinking it was all a dream. But Lucifer was having none of that. She noticed he liked to bite, to leave his mark and make her blush. She half-teased him about it, “This doesn’t umm… rejuvenate you or something, does it?” He frowned, “I’m the king of hell, not a lowly vampire, you know.” She laughed, with relief. He brightened, and said, “I’ll tell you what rejuvenates me!” and he dived under the covers. A few giggles and gasps… his surprise at her counter moves, “Oh! De-tective!”

Of course her sharp-eyed co-workers didn’t miss a thing. She tried her best to remain her business-as-usual self. No let up, no goofing around, all work. But somehow, Lucifer knew where to place his enthusiasm strategically so no amount of covering up helped. One showed up on her inner wrist – how did that happen? – while she was reaching for her coffee, and Ella, ever sharp-eyed, whistled, exclaimed, “Ooh, la la Chloe! That New Orleans trip must have been sumpthin’ sumpthin’ huh!” One was hidden just under her collar bone, so when the tech team was wiring her for a sting, it was obvious what it was. Up till that point, it had been a rather tense op. The tech guy, a nerdy hypochondriac, oblivious to what it was, advised, “Looks like eczema? Could be gluten allergy…” One wise guy cracked, “Well, she sure isn’t allergic to one thing, eh guys, hahahah!” Nudges and winks all round.

Chloe played along, rolling her eyes and shrugging her shoulders. She deadpanned, “What can I say, guys, I’m a “gluten” for punishment!” The silliness lightened the mood, the team gelled better and the op went according to plan.

So there was some gossip, no more than the usual. People gave her a wink or a knowing smile. “Good weekend, Decker?

But no one had seen this new man.

There was no waiting car to pick her up at the precinct. No casual drop by with a sandwich lunch. Or a coffee break. And anyway, she was always working. I mean, come on, first Espinoza. Then Pierce. When did she ever date someone outside of work? For a while, there seemed to be that hot British guy, were they on, off, who knows? But the word was that he had gotten a job down south and was not coming back.

As for this mysterious man, he’d send flowers, lots of flowers.

It started off simple enough. A black rose among the bunch of red.

Then deep red poppies, with a single black. Same for the tulips.

Today, there was a special delivery. Seeing it, Ella came out of her lab. “Woah, Decker…!” Chloe asked Ella, with an arched eyebrow, “What, Ella, no strippers this year?” Ella sighed, “I got ticked off by the department, and anyway, without Lucifer here, I don’t feel like being so naughty, you know. Just focusing on the work!”

Ella peered at the gift – “Woah Decker, that’s the strangest… um… flower display? I’ve seen.”

Chloe tried to stop the smile that played around her lips. Ella concentrated on the thing, looking at it from all angles. She frowned, “Wow, how did they do that?”

She picks it up to examine it from all angles, “Great craftsmanship, I can’t see the joints where the batteries go… maybe it’s remotely controlled…”

“Hmmm…. Or it’s a hologram…” she looks around, trying to find the image source.

It’s a single rose, with the petal tips on fire, encased in a cool transparent block. And the flower turns. Inside.

The day passes, Chloe slips out of the precinct and drives to the Penthouse. The lift door dings and she steps through.

There’s a gentle shoosh of a breeze. Cold. She smiles, closing her eyes in happiness. “Hello, detective.” An invisible whisper. She opens her eyes and there he is. “Happy birthday, Chloe.” It’s as if he never left.

She was relieved and happy and sad all at once. “You remembered.”

Lucifer, “How could I forget…” acting all noble, but then holds up his mobile phone proudly, “Birthday notification – ding ding ding!”

Chloe, “Oh and that amazing gift. Thank you.” Lucifer, “Mm, what’s that?” half-listening.

Before she can ask him how the fire in ice was done, he’s holding her hand and leading her to the sofa. They both sit down and Lucifer holds out a jewelry box. She’s suddenly shy. So soon? Ah, no, he doesn’t get on one knee.

“Dear Chloe, would you… ?”

She opens the case, and picks out the ring. It is the smaller version of his.

Lucifer gives a small laugh, “Hah don’t worry. It’s not as if I could marry you. And marriage – hah! That’s just some manmade nonsense to keep people busy.”

Chloe, “It’s beautiful.”

Lucifer, shyly, “Well.” Then, simply, “May I?” and he slipped it onto her middle finger. Their palms met, and even though his hands are larger than hers, they, and their rings are a match.

She was blissfully happy, until the next day at the precinct.

“Ooh, I like your birthday gift, Decker.” Whistles and whoops. Aww crap, she forgot to cover up yet another hickey, this one was in the shape of a heart, no less. Right on the side of her neck. She tried to brazen it out. Did a mock curtsy, didn’t rise to the teasing. “Wow, Miss Decker. Very nice.” This new guy from Procurement made that puckering smoochy obscene sound. She couldn’t care less about the teasing and the coarseness, they were just horsing around. But there was a line between good-natured ribbing and disrespect.

Chloe felt the anger rise in her. That twerp continued making that awful noise. She whipped round and grabbed his shirt, shoving him against a filing cabinet. “You can tease me and make fun of me, but don’t. Don’t. Make. That. Disgusting. Noise.”

She expected the guy to bluster his way out. But he just looked at her in utter shock. She continued, “And it’s not Miss Decker, it’s Detective Decker.” He whimpered and wilted. These admin types, they weren’t used to the rough and tumble. The other colleagues laughed, “You deserved that, Ken!” A female officer passing by said, “Yea, that sound is awful. Just stop already.”

Procurement Ken never made that sound again. In fact, he gave Chloe a wide berth whenever he saw her. Kept his head down, didn’t return her “hi”. She thought his reaction was rather extreme and braced herself for some ridiculous enquiry, but nothing happened and he soon transferred out.

The female office who was passing by, stopped at Chloe’s desk. “Here, take this. Belated birthday present. Hope it helps.” It was a small black scarf, dotted with red roses. Chloe gratefully put it round her neck and covered up the mark. It wouldn’t do to show up at her daughter’s school looking like a flirty floosy.

Maze meets her at the school.

Maze didn’t want to be away hunting bounty anymore.

“Yea, I’ve had enough tracking down these nutters and hauling their asses to jail. I’m done punishing. Lucifer told me to protect you guys, so that’s what I’m doing now.”

At her job interview to be school security, she stares down the principal. “Umm, and what protective skills so you have?” “I’ve protected Lucifer for eons.” There was no recognition from the principal

Maze continued, “Lucifer? Morningstar?… the owner of Lux?”

The principal finally recognized the name, “Ah, right. Yes, Um, quite a rumbustious crowd there. You must have done a good job. Good, good.” He checks her application, “Ah, I see, you have two LAPD Detectives as your references. Alright, that’s that, then! You’re hired!” He signs her appointment letter with a nervous flourish.

Maze looks around the room. “This room, I like it.”

The principal said, “Yes. It’s a good spot.”

Maze, continued, “OK, thank you, I’ll accept it.”

The principal, “Uh what?”

Maze, waving him away, “I’ll accept the room. Thanks. You can go now.”

The principal looks defeated, “Yes, Miss Smith.” He gathers the files on his table, and moves towards the door. “I’ll send someone to move my things.” Then, indicating the door, “Open or closed?”

So today, Chloe arrives at the office that was previously the Principal’s.  
“Knock knock.”

Chloe, “Reporting for the Community Outreach session, ma’am.”

Maze grins, “OK, let’s do this.”

It’s a sad new reality, but Detective Decker is here today to teach the kids the drills, in case of active shooters. Chloe reminds them, “Stay low, Stay quiet. You don’t want the shooter to know you’re there.”

After the lesson is over, Maze walks with her to the car. Chloe shakes her head, sighing, “Gone are the days when we just taught the kids to yell out “Stranger!” when someone unfamiliar came into their playground. What kind of world are we in, now? I have to teach my daughter and her friends what to do, in case there’s a psycho shooter?”

Maze, “Chill Decker, I’m here.”

As if right on cue, they hear the fire alarm go off.

There are “pop, pop” sounds coming from the gymnasium. Kids screaming.

Chloe goes cold, Trixie. She hears the light pitter patter footsteps of youngsters, good, the kids are keeping low and quiet. Running away from the shots to hide in the rooms with reinforced doors.

Chloe radios for backup, scanning the area. When she sees no movement, she runs towards the popping sounds, gun drawn.

She peeps through the window and sees a noose strung up from the climbing ropes. A skinny boy is pointing a rifle at the gym teacher. He screams, “I don’t want to climb the rope. I don’t want to do anything!” His class mates are huddled together, not daring to make a sound.

He continued, “I want YOU to “climb that rope and hang yourself from it.”

Chloe slots her gun into her boot. She takes a deep breath and pretends to be a bumbling parent. Her voice outside, “Oh! So this is the gym, great!”

The kid with the rifle whips around. “Who’s that?

Chloe steps in and pretends to be surprised, “Oh! Hey… I’m visiting to see if this is a good place for my daughter…”

The kid whines, “Oh god, you adults never stop! Always interrupting, always judging, always interfering. Butt out!” And without warning, he fires a shot at Chloe.

There’s a flash of leather and a few smacks here and there.

When it is over, Maze stands over the boy, who is already trussed up with her plastic ties.

The kids are relieved, they applaud their savior. Maze grins, and waves to them.

But she senses that something’s wrong.

There’s something missing. Breathing… there’s no breathing.

She whips around to see that Chloe has crumpled to the floor. “No! Decker!”

She checks for a pulse, nothing. She pats Decker down, trying to find the bullet wound, so she can apply pressure on it. But, there’s nothing.

Maze freezes. Decker, gone? Oh no. No no no no. Was it her fault? Did she leave it too late, “Decker! Decker!”

Chloe’s eyes fly open, “Owww Maze, no need to shout.”

Maze, “You were shot, Chloe. You were shot! Tell me where!”

Chloe, “Shot?”, her adrenaline kicks in. “Breathe, Decker, breathe. 1, 2, 3…”

Maze holds her, “where!”

Chloe, “uh, uh…”

Maze looks on in wonder. She’s found the “wound”. There’s a hole dead centre in Chloe’s shirt. No blood. Oh no, is that something bad? Could the bullet be lodged in there, travelling through her vital organs, right now?

Chloe touches that spot, and grimaces very slightly. Maze is on the ground, looking around for the bullet casing – maybe it was a blank, or a phony gun, bullet proof vest…? Chloe sits up. Then she stands. She extends her hand to Maze to pull her up. “Come on Maze, let’s get this idiot to booking.”

Maze continues to frown.

At home, Chloe strips off and chucks her clothes into the laundry basket. She takes a shower, and suddenly the past catches up with her. Jimmy shooting her. Her crashing down to the floor. The pain, unbelievable pain. Her feeling of being out of her body, watching herself and Lucifer. She saying, “I don’t want to die.” And Lucifer promising, “I won’t let you.” That feeling of familiarity, of ease, as if they’d known each other for a long time.

In the shower, Chloe touched her shoulder scar which was her habit. But this time was different. She couldn’t feel it. She was a bit puzzled, maybe the new moisturizer she was using? She stepped out of the shower and looked in the mirror. Hang on, where is it?

For a moment, she got confused, was it on my left shoulder… or right? It seems like an eternity ago.

Nope, there was no scar, not even a slight difference in colour. It was as if it never happened.

Later, Maze talks to Linda, “Something happened today. I’m… I’m worried.”  
Linda’s eyes widen, “You never worry…”

Maze, “Yea, it was Decker. She was there, talking to the kid with the rifle. I saw him take aim…. I… I was too slow. But… I’m never slow. What could be the matter?”

Meanwhile, Decker seems to be processing something. She rummages through the laundry with her clothes… “No vest….” She find the tee she had on, and searches it inch by inch.

There’s a hole in the tee.

She puts her finger through the spot. “What… what… does it mean?”

She looks blankly at the mirror. The image looks back at her, just as blankly.

She twists around to look at her back. Nope, nothing there.

“No wings… yet?”

“Hang on, does this mean I’ll go to hell after I die?”

“Or, can I go now, and come back?”

She slides down to the floor, hugs herself, all confusion.

“Is it my punishment, that I fell in love with the Devil?” “That I’m sleeping with him?”

She’s horrified at what she’s in… a lot of trouble.

“ And what about Trixie? And Dad?”

“And Mum – I’m sorry I’ve only criticized you.”

We leave Chloe on the bathroom floor, and go back to the little run-in with the Procurement guy. And now we see things from his point of view.

He puckers up and makes that noise, “Ooh Misssss Decker…”

Chloe moves with incredible speed and pushes him hard against the filing cabinet which lifts off the ground a few inches. “Don’t Make. That….” and her eyes burnt yellow red, “Disgusting. Noise.” When she said “noise”, it was of him whimpering. He felt his pants leg go damp.

We retrace our steps a little further… to see Lucifer on his throne in hell, looking at Chloe’s ring, and his own. Her ring is gloriously perched in its case. He closes the case and slips it into his coat pocket.

Lucifer looks up skywards and smiles.


End file.
